National Laboratories Highlight Pathways to Cleaner Environment

The United States has many options for reducing greenhouse gas emissions
through new, cleaner energy technologies, the directors of 11 of the Department
of Energy's national laboratories conclude in a study released today. The
directors recommend aggressively developing a wide range of technologies
over the next several decades.

The directors' report, Technology Opportunities to Reduce U.S. Greenhouse
Gas Emissions, outlines almost 50 technology pathways that could eliminate
the emissions of hundreds of millions of tons of carbon per year. They include
such near-term practical technologies as electric hybrid vehicles, high-efficiency
lighting, super-insulating windows, and passive solar heating and cooling
of buildings. They also include mid-term to longer term technologies that
need further development, such as fuel cells for transportation, microturbines,
broad use of biomass fuels and hydrogen-fueled energy systems.

"Technologies already being developed by industry and by national
laboratories are key to meeting President Clinton's challenge to reduce
greenhouse gases while contributing to economic growth," said Secretary
of Energy Federico Peña. "This report lays out what we need
to do to bring our nation's best scientific and engineering talent to bear
on solving this problem. With the support of American consumers and businesses,
we can have a major impact on the kind of world we leave for future generations."

The 11 laboratory directors recommend that the federal government lead
a vigorous national push to develop energy technologies during the next
three decades to achieve a major reduction in the risk of global warming.
While the study does not recommend specific funding levels for technology
research, development and deployment, it estimates some increases will be
needed to push critical technologies to the commercialization stage. A report
issued last year by the President's Committee of Advisors on Science and
Technology reached a similar conclusion about the need for increased investment
in energy research and development. Also, government-industry partnerships
are essential, the laboratory study says, to overcome scientific, technical
and commercial challenges to developing the recommended technologies.

The United States emits 23 percent of the world's carbon dioxide and
other greenhouse gases. Some 90 percent of those emissions come from energy
use, and about 85 percent of the carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere
comes from burning fossil fuels. The study examines technologies that can
reduce emissions in three ways -- by using energy more efficiently, reducing
the amount of carbon released through energy use and increasing the amount
of carbon dioxide absorbed from the atmosphere.

Technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions will become available
at different times over the next 30 years, according to the study. In the
first decade, significant advances in energy efficiency technologies --
such as in appliances, heating and cooling systems, and transportation --
would produce the greatest reductions in emissions. During the following
10 years, research-based advances in clean energy technologies could greatly
reduce greenhouse gas emissions. These could include high-efficiency natural
gas systems, renewable energy such as solar and wind, and fuel cells. And
by 2030, research in carbon sequestration -- carbon storage, carbon absorption
and carbon removal by oceans, forests and soils -- could produce valuable
results.

The study stresses the importance of pursuing a number of technologies
at each stage to provide choices and flexibility for energy users. The 47
options the lab directors recommend cover almost all sectors of the economy,
including buildings, industry, transportation and agriculture.

NOTE: The study, Technology Opportunities to Reduce U.S. Greenhouse Gas
Emissions, is on the World Wide Web at: http://www.ornl.gov/climate_change
The files are in PDF format and can be read in Acrobat Reader.